Past Featured Author
Betty Onyett
Paris, Ohio USA
Most Embarrassing Moment
One of my most embarrassing moments occurred when I was a young married woman and we were entertaining my husband's parents. I was eager to show that I could be a gracious hostess and had worked hard to prepare a tasty meal. I sank gratefully into my seat as we took our places at the table and bowed our heads for a brief silent blessing. I placed my hand on my husband's knee to my right. I thought it a bit odd that he didn't put his hand on mine, as I expected. Raising my head and opening my eyes, I discovered to my extreme horror that my husband was sitting to my lfeft and my father-in-law to my right, and my hand was on the wrong man's knee! I was speechless with embarrassment. Maybe I could simply ignore that it happened? Then I thought: “But it will be even worse if I don't say something.” Trapped between a rock and a hard place, I forced myself to confess aloud my instance of mistaken knee identity. “Ha, ha!” but it was definitely notfunny! To this day, my face flushes with the memory of that awful moment.
Most Memorable Moment
The thirty StarShine Stories are about captured memorable moments and the many possibilities that exist in our daily moments, everywhere about us, if we are open to them. This special moment, not in any of the present stories, happend on Christmas Eve thirty years ago -- actually one hour into Christmas Day. My mother, who lived in Maine, had comem to spend the Holiday with me, and we wer returning from a Christmas Eve service. As we rounded a curve in the lane near my home, a great flurry of wings caught in the headlights, and a very large owl perched on the top of the corner fencepost directly ahead. Its head pivoted smoothly toward us, giving the distinct impression that it could unscrew and pop off at any moment, like some child's mechanical toy. The owl gazed round-eyed at the oncoming car lights, unafraid. I stopped abruptly but as noiselessly as possible, spotlighting it and the post brightly, expecting it to flee. As we gazed back at the huge bird in disbelief, its attention was diverted to something below. Its head swiveled away from us and it leaned forward slightly, intently surveying the ground area. Then, half hopping and half flying, it jumped downward, lost to our sight in the brown and white shadows. Mother and I stared at each other and closed our gaping mouths. Who would expect to meet a huge owl at 1 A.M. on Christmas morning? And who would receive a finer first Christmas gift?
Advice to Other Amateur Authors
I would share this special quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. “What lies behind us and what lies before are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
And More…
It is fun and fulfilling to share my experiences and ponderins with others, because I truly believe that we are powerful stars of the universe. There is a universal rule of thumb: Whatever we choose to focus upon is what we get more of. We each have the power of choice to focus on what inspires, expands and energizes. Our choices plus our intent create the reality of our inner world. And we then reflect that light of our inner space to create, with others, the outer space of our world. The key lies within.